Scenes From My Life
by Arctic1
Summary: I'm really not sure how I got here...well, I know, I'm just not sure what happens next. Mostly fluff
1. Chapter 1

I've been sitting in this shitty bar, in a shitty town, drinking even worse beer trying to figure out exactly how I got myself into this. The small group of people at my table can barely hold my attention. I smile and laugh on the outside while my insecurities and doubts rumble around the inside. I'm very good at coming off as confident, but the reality is, I'm playing make-believe.

I know how I got here….. Jake, my current boyfriend, asked me to go to Port Angeles for a rugby tournament. Said it would be my birthday present to him. I should have been in class at UW instead of at this dive bar. A 19 year old college student that has life experiences that no one should have, I'm going through a phase. I know this. Trying to move on and find the person I'm supposed to be. I know this too, can't stop it. I medicate myself with alcohol and intimacy that is far from intimate. I figured what the hell, it might be fun.

Jake is 16 years older than me, but has the emotional capabilities of a 15 year old boy. I'm okay with that. He's not the one, never will be and I have never had delusions otherwise.

A pretty girl comes by, Kate, she is introduced to me, gives me the once over and dismisses me. It's not because I am obviously younger than a lot of the people in this bar and most definitely younger than Jake, the emotional child. It looks like there may be some history between Kate and Jake, but again I can't find it in me to really care.

"Edward!" Kate hollers, interrupting all conversation at our table. A tall, well-built guy turns and approaches. Kate seems fairly enamored with Edward and soon has him at our table introducing him to those of us at the table that he doesn't know. Turns out Jake and Edward know each other fairly well and are friendly even though they are on different rugby teams and from different towns. They've partied together and played against each other for a couple of years. I've learned that the rugby community is fairly tight knit even when they play against each other. But there seems to be some distance, distrust or distaste with no outright animosity.

Rosalie got me into rugby. She's my best friend, has been since the second grade. I love her like a sister. Her boyfriend, Emmett, is a friend also. I've grown to love him a little. The problem with Rosalie is that she becomes whatever the guy she is with expects. It's gotten her into trouble and I find that by default, it is my job to protect her. She and Emmett are the reason I am in a bar with Jake. Emmett knows my history; said Jake would be a good distraction. He was right about that. I'm just not sure Jake is the right distraction for back to the present, I take a few surreptitious glances at Edward and think that if he got a haircut, he'd be really cute. He has amazing blue eyes that truly seem to sparkle when he smiles. He laughs a lot and is friendly with everyone. Edward moves on from our group and we move on from him.

Honestly, I don't think of Edward again, until he returns to my orbit three months later. He's gotten that haircut and I have cut Jake.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** The author does not own any of the publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

un-beta'd

Spring has turned to summer and because Rosalie has talked me into playing rugby for the local women's team, Jake and I run in the same circles and see each other, but are no longer together. The sex sucked and I got tired of babysitting an adult. Things aren't necessarily awkward, but strained at times. I know he cheated and he knows I know. My heart wasn't broken and there was no blowup over it. We just went our separate ways. There was no reason to really fuss about it. I've moved on.

It seems to be pretty common for the women's and men's teams to comingle and some of the girls have been with multiple guys. I don't want to be one of those girls that are just around to hook up with guys. I actually love the game and am having a lot of fun playing. I understand the propensity for cycling through each other; we are together a lot so it makes sense. We party together, practice together, and inevitably play together. Some of the guys are like brothers to me so I have no interest in them beyond friendship.

My guard goes down a little bit with the addition of beer. It's not my fault if they hope they can get further than I will allow. I'm always honest about it. A few have thought that because I was with Jake for a few months that I am fair game. Not the case. I just want to have uncomplicated fun. Sex is a complication and I have had enough of those to last me a long time. Jake was never meant to be a serious relationship. He pushed it and I didn't resist. I'm set on being single for a while now. My girlfriends are all in or looking for serious relationships. I'm running from them.

It's on a beautiful, sunny June Saturday that Edward pops back into my life. We are reintroduced by Emmett, Rosalie's boyfriend, and I barely recognize him with the haircut that I knew would make a huge difference. His eyes are the same though. I wouldn't have forgotten those. I'm due to gather with my team for a match and can't stick around to talk. Afterwards, everyone is heading to Ben's house.

Ben is a really nice guy with a house that he doesn't mind opening up to a hundred of his closest friends. The team I play for has offered to bring a bunch or side dishes and it's turned into quite the backyard barbeque. The place is packed. The backyard is teeming with drunk and dancing and singing fools. I really hope his roommates are willing to help clean the place up because it is going to be a mess and Ben got a shoulder injury in a match earlier in the day. He's in pain and drinking heavily as well as having had a painkiller.

Tony, one of my most favorite people around, decides that it would be fun to line up five or so of us girls and do belly shots. This is his excuse to lick alcohol off of our stomachs. Now this might seem a little orgy-ish, but it really isn't. Tony is married and his wife, Peggy, is laughing so hard at him because he is just wrecked. She's very indulgent with him, but has never had a reason to question his loyalty to her even though he's a big flirt. Those of us lined up on the lawn are fully clothed with our bellies bared from below the breast to hip bones. I don't fail to notice that the girls picked for this "honor" are the younger more fit girls. I find myself as the first of five that Tony is pouring Southern Comfort on.

"You are DEEEE lishush," Tony shouts, slurs, whatever.

"Tony, don't embarrass her," Peggy admonishes. Tony just rolls on down the line of girls shouting out something different for each.

I'm laughing and enjoying the sun and feeling fairly festive, bordering on needing to slow down or I'll find myself puking.

"Do you let just anyone lick you?" I look for the warm voice that broke me from my own laughter. The owner of the voice is standing over me, backlit by the sun.

Sitting up, I grin at Edward whose eyes are twinkling with amusement, "Nah, just Tony. He's harmless and his wife, Peggy, keeps a pretty good eye on him."

"If I told you I had a wife, would you let me?"

Hoping he doesn't, I ask coyly, "Do you?"

Shaking his head and smirking at me, "No."

"That's too bad for you, then. I guess I'll just have to settle for Tony." I joke, hoping that he doesn't notice that he makes me a little nervous. It's not the kind of nervous that fear comes from, more like anticipation. I've not felt that for a while and I'm unsure if I can trust my instincts. I've been "refocusing" this summer. I have a couple guys I hang out with, but I'm still fully entrenched in my sex embargo. I've decided that the rugby crowd is not the pool I want to swim in, but this one is making me consider rescinding the embargo.

When I start to get up, he puts his hand out to help me stand. "You don't have a beer."

"First, you wanted to lick me, now you want to steal a beer I don't have," I smile and laugh. I'm feeling rather giggly and flirtatious.

"No," he laughs through his nose, "I wanted to get a beer for you." Still smiling at me, "You're a bit of a firecracker, aren't you?"

"I've been called worse."

"Where's Jake?"

Barking out a real laugh, "It's no longer my job to babysit the man-child."

"That's what I heard, I was just making sure."

Rolling my eyes, "Jake and I haven't been together for quite a while. I can't believe people are still talking about it."

"They aren't, I asked."

"Oh?" Now why would he do that? We've barely spoken and I didn't get the feeling that Jake and Edward were very friendly.

We stand there watching each other for a few moments. I'm hoping he will tell me why he was asking, but Rosalie decides that I need to have another shot with her. Dragging me behind her 5'9" frame to where a makeshift bar has been created out in the sunny backyard. I give Edward a smirk, shrug and small wave. Rosalie doesn't say anything about my conversation with Edward. She just smiles and downs her shot.

Over the course of the evening, I catch Edward watching me, but he hasn't approached me again until I'm out front sitting on the trunk of my car. At this point, I am very drunk and what little verbal filter I have is all but gone. I'm having fun talking to friends, acquaintances, and strangers alike.

"You changed your shirt."

"I had to," I slur. "One of my teammates threw up in the bathroom and unfortunately her aim is really shitty, or good depending on how you look at it."

"That's unfortunate."

Tyler, a guy I barely know says, "Not for those of us that got to watch her change!" He elbows Edward. The glare that Tyler receives is enough to shut him up.

"You changed out here?" He seems irritated.

"Why not? It was convenient." I'm obviously drunker than I thought because this actually makes sense to me.

"It's just not safe to be showing the goods off to a bunch of drunk guys."

Giggling at his sincere concern, "I assure you it wasn't like I took my shirt off in the middle of the street; I was in the backseat of my car. I was not nearly as on display as Tyler made it sound. I was discrete about it, but your concern is cute." While Edward is looking back at the house, I roll off the trunk of my car to lie in the lawn. I am so not driving anywhere because the sky is spinning a bit. Hopefully Rosalie and Emmett haven't ditched this party. They don't usually leave me alone too much. Emmett says it's for my safety, but I think it has something to do with a history I have of poor drunken decisions. Sometimes I think he takes the big brother act too far, but being Rosalie's boyfriend has earned him a place in my life and heart.

Peaking over the edge of my car, eyes smiling, lips quirked up on one side, "Where did you go?"

"You really are cute, you know." Oh boy, the filter is gone. I remind myself that it's okay to think it, but I shouldn't be saying it out loud.

"Is this where you pass out and don't remember me?"

"Maybe. Ask me tomorrow."

"Will you be at the pitch tomorrow?" I hope that eagerness I hear in his tone isn't a result of all that I've had to drink.

"Oh yeah, we have a match at 2:00. Rosalie would kill me if I didn't show up."

Alice, my other best friend, bounces over. I haven't seen much of her tonight. She has discovered Jasper Whitlock and has been trying to get him to pay attention to her for a couple of weeks. She drags me away from Edward and again I'm giving him a shrug and wave.


End file.
